Hair-Ties
by A Dueling Heart
Summary: Iruka is mortified when his hair-tie snaps when he first meets THE Kakashi Hatake


"Anko, what are you doing?"

Iruka wasn't drunk. He could count the number of times he's ever gotten on one hand, and none of them had been out in public. Tipsy, however, he wasn't above becoming if the healthy flush across his signature scar was any indicator.

Anko didn't share his reservations (or have any for that matter). The Tokubetsu Jounin was drunk and brandishing both a shiny kunai and a leer in his direction.

"Take it offff Ruka."

"Take what off?"

When drinking, Iruka became one of three types of people: cool as a cucumber, loud and boisterous or super friendly. On special nights, he became all three.

This wasn't one of those nights.

"I'll cut it ifff you d-don't."

"You should really be more specific."

Kotetsu and Izumo howled with laughter.

"I love it when they're like this," Kotetsu claimed, shoving playfully at Izumo's shoulder as he raised up his beer.

"It's your fault this time," Izumo chided though the wicked grin on his face gave away his true feelings.

"What's his fault?" Raidou asked as he plunked down on Kotetsu's right side.

Izumo gestured to the corner where Anko had ushered Iruka into.

"I'll cut it then, or sssnap it. Jussst let me g-get it off."

"I could take it off myself if you just told me what it was. Maybe."

Raidou chuckled.

"Kotetsu mentioned he's seen Iruka with his hair down. Anko's intrigued," Izumo offered, wiggling the one visible brow under his side-swept bangs. It caused Kotetsu to erupt into giggles.

Raidou would have felt bad for Iruka if he wasn't in that particular mode. Nothing got to Iruka while he was _cool buzzin._

"What's taking Genma?"

"Guard duty tonight," Raidou answered.

"Ugh," Kotetsu gave the intelligent but oh-so-correct response.

The three clinked their mugs and chugged down gulp-fulls in the wake of their friend's misfortune.

**THUMP.**

"Aww man, I missed it!" Kotetsu exclaimed.

"Do over!" Izumo cried.

"She ran into the wall," Iruka explained, picking up Anko's unconscious form and moving to lay her down next to where he sat. "Hard."

"Do over!" the other three chorused.

"I'll make sure she gets home," Iruka promised, ignoring them.

"Ah, Ruru," Izumo leaned over and snuggled against Iruka's arm. "You're sooooo nice!"

"The nicest," Raidou agreed.

"I bet Hatake-san will think you're nice too!" Kotetsu loudly uttered.

Iruka would later be glad they'd paid for a private room.

"Kakashi-san?" Raidou questioned.

"Iruka's brat got him for a Jounin-Sensei!" Kotetsu explained.

"But he's never taken on a Genin team!"

"He has now," Izumo took another swig. "And Iruka gets to meet him tomorrow!"

"Naruto wants us to meet," Iruka shrugged. "Something about hoping I set Hatake-san straight."

"You should keep drinking Ruru," Izumo wagged a finger at him. "Stay this cool when you meet him tomorrow."

"I don't see what the big deal is."

The other three chuckled helplessly.

"He's a Jounin!"

It was an open secret that Jounin and Chunnin didn't mix well. Tokubetsu Jounin flit to and fro between the two groups, but it was rare for the rest to hang out. Raidou was a rare exception because he was friends with Genma, a sandy-haired Tokubetsu Jounin, whom loved to hang out with these particular Chunnin. Raidou was also rare in the case that he was an anomaly amongst his Jounin brethren; he was sane.

"He's not just a Jounin, he's a legend!"

"He's THE Kakashi Hatake."

"And the mask!"

"No one knows what's under that mask."

"But everyone wants to know."

"He's so cool!"

"And mysterious!"

"I bet you'll make a fool of yourself for sure Ruru."

The Chunnin-Sensei would later lament his friends had jinxed him.

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Iruka woke up fine. The wonders of not drinking to the point of a hang-over were marvelous.

Today was an easy day, a Saturday. There was no school and he only had a morning shift at the Mission Desk to contend with. He usually ran errands afterwards, went over lesson plans and corrected homework in the afternoon, and spent the evening to his leisure. Sundays were Naruto days.

Except, this Saturday was different. Today he was meeting up with Naruto and being introduced to Kakashi Hatake.

The morning at the Mission Room went by too fast, the butterflies in his stomach multiplying by Kotetsu and Izumo's teasing.

It wasn't that Iruka had initially been nervous about meeting the Legendary Nin; he hadn't been. Renowned or not, Iruka was first-most there for Naruto. He's been strategizing ways to meet Hatake-san face-to-face ever since the Jounin took on his first Genin team. He wanted to make sure Naruto was in good hands. Naruto's insistence they meet sealed it for him.

But then his lovable loudmouth yapped about the meeting in front of Kotetsu and Izumo. Ever since, he's been putting up with "Hatake-san this" and "Hatake-san that." There were so many rumors about Kakashi Hatake it boggled the mind, and most of them were about his killing prowess.

Needless to say, Iruka began to grow a wary. The devolvement into teasing didn't help.

It was a testament to how far he'd been driven to absent-mindedness that he was now dashing across the rooftops of Konoha in a haste.

For the first time in a very long time, Iruka was running late.

_'I can't believe- I'm such an idiot!'_ he scolded himself. _'It had to be today of all days too!'_

He slowed as he reached the bridge, unable to keep an eyebrow from ticking up at the display that met him.

"Iruka-Sensei! Iruka-Sensei is here!"

"Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura- _what are you doing?_"

The three kids jumped apart. Sakura was flushing voraciously, Sasuke's chin was tipped down (the only indicator that he was embarrassed about his actions- Iruka's had many years to learn Sasuke's language patterns), and Naruto was beaming at him. The trio had been caught in a mini-melee just previously; Naruto having somehow latched onto a peeved Sasuke and Sakura looking as though she were seconds away from tearing her blonde teammate's head clear off.

"We were just training Iruka-Sensei!"

"Is that so?" Iruka aimed an overly large smile at his favorite orange-clad ninja. Sasuke and Sakura quickly caught on to the danger lurking but Naruto simply kept on smiling. "Why don't you show me then, what was it you were working on?"

Naruto's smile faltered. "Um, well, you see- the thing is..."

"Yes?"

"Um," Naruto pointed over Iruka's shoulder. "Oh look! Kakashi-Sensei is here!"

"What?" Iruka gasped, turning around.

The road connecting to the bridge was empty.

A tic-mark appeared on his head as he looked back around. "Naruto-"

"Hahaha! Catch me if you can Iruka-Sensei!" Naruto yelled as he took off for the trees.

"Naruto!" Sakura screeched out, disapproving of his behavior.

Iruka sighed and sped off after him, otherwise the little hellion was sure to stir up trouble.

Not five minutes later Iruka returned with a strapped-down Naruto flung over his back, the blonde hollering and complaining.

Sakura laughed at the sight and Sasuke himself showed a small smirk.

"Iruka-Sensei! I promise to be good! Let me go!"

"I'm not sure you learned your lesson yet Naruto," Iruka replied, tossing a cheeky grin over his shoulder.

_'Iruka-Sensei is really weird...' _Sakura couldn't help but to think, though she largely approved due to Naruto being the target.

"Iruka-Sensei!" Naruto whined, shuffling about.

"Hn," Sasuke shoved his hands into his pocket. "That's a real good look for you dobe."

That definitely set the blonde off.

"You basta-"

Iruka blinked at Naruto's sudden cut-off of words.

The sunny-haired boy was aiming a knowing grin in Sasuke's direction. "So, that's what you like eh Sasuke?" Naruto pursed his lips. "So kinky."

Iruka successfully restrained his laughter.

Sakura's screech was tainted by her blush and not so covert glances in the Uchiha's direction.

Sasuke merely glared, though his gaze was particularly murderous.

Naruto stuck his tongue out. "Well too bad! Because. I'm. Free!"

Iruka looked on in shock as Naruto sliced open his bindings. Unfortunately, his shock was largely due to Naruto's hand still moving up. He felt the tip of the kunai graze through his ponytail, a few chocolate strands falling between them.

"Naruto!" Iruka face reddened.

"Maa maa, Naruto. What are you doing to your lovely Sensei?"

_'Holy shit!'_ Iruka thought, keeping himself from jumping as he turned to look at the Jounin resting casually against the bridge, open book in front of him. He'd never felt him coming!

"Kakashi-Sensei! You're late again!" Naruto bellowed, pointing an accusing finger.

The Jounin looked up from his book, quite possibly the only person who could portray a smile with the curve of his only visible eye. "Well, there was this little old lady who looked to be struggling with her groceries. I couldn't help but to help her with her burden."

Iruka was sure he had a dumbfounded look on his face. _'What?!'_

"You're a liar Kakashi-Sensei!"

"Naruto!" Sakura scolded. She turned to Kakashi. "I'm sorry Sensei, he never learns." Her smile was much too wide to be genuine.

Iruka himself could practically see that she agreed with Naruto's opinion on their tardy Jounin-Sensei. He had to resist the urge to sink his head, something Sasuke freely expressed.

"Such lack of faith they have," Kakashi addressed to him.

With each passing second Iruka was finding himself more bewildered. Was this really THE Kakashi Hatake? Were the rumors really that off?

He gave a polite smile in return. "You should have seen how they were when I first taught them. I'm Iruka Umino by the way, their Academy-Sensei," he stuck his hand out. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you Mr. Hatake."

Kakashi's eye zeroed in on him.

Iruka got the distinct feeling he was being scrutinized. He only just caught the slight tilt of the Jounin's head, as though deciding whether he was interesting or not. The seconds dragged and Iruka began to wonder if he'd done something to necessitate the rude behavior.

Yet, before he could begin to pull his hand back it was caught by the other's.

"Just Kakashi," the Jounin said, eye moving upwards.

Iruka was about to turn his head to see what was so interesting when-

**SNAP!**

His hand automatically reached to catch the piece of string that was once a hair-tie. He stared at the offensive thing, unable to believe it happened even as he felt his hair fall down around his head.

Jumbled phrases flashed in his mind, among them: _'What the heck?!' 'Seriously!' _and _'Dammit Naruto!'_

None of them seemed to fit the situation perfectly.

"Woah, Iruka-Sensei," Naruto was gazing at him with a wondering expression. "I didn't know your hair's curly."

"Ah," Iruka found his voice again (kind of).

The situation was embarrassing enough without Kakashi reaching out to catch a stray tendril between his fingers.

"Not so much curly," Kakashi debated, smooth tenor ringing serious. "But not so much wavy either."

Iruka's lips parted at the looming figure of the famous Jounin before him. Was this real?

_'Iruka-Sensei is actually good-looking with his hair down,'_ Sakura admitted to herself with a light blush.

_'Cha! He should wear it like that all the time!'_ Inner Sakura quipped.

Sasuke held a neutral face but his eyes had yet to leave Iruka and Kakashi.

"It's waly then!" Naruto shouted.

"Waly?" Sakura asked.

"Uh huh," Naruto grinned. "It's between wavy and curly; waly!"

Sakura tsked. "That's dumb Naruto."

The poor blonde pouted. "Well, otherwise it'd be curvy!"

Kakashi laughed, a surprisingly joyful sound. "Iruka-Sensei is very curvy then."

Iruka reddened quite immensely. He could swear that single eye roved over his form. "It's j-just Iruka!"

"How about... curvy Iruka?" Kakashi teased.

Iruka's blush died as he said in his teacher's voice. "Just Iruka." His eyes widened as he realized whom he'd just taken that tone with.

Luckily, Kakashi merely laughed again, finally letting his hair go and getting out of his personal space.

The Chunnin only slightly mourned the man's incredible presence.

**Only slightly!**

"So, Iruka-Sensei," Sakura spoke up. "What are you doing here? Were you looking for Naruto?" She planted her hands on her hips and glared at her blonde teammate. "Is he in trouble?"

"I haven't done anything, I swear!"

"Tch."

"What was that you bastard?!"

"Naruto! Back off!"

"You're always getting into trouble."

"That's not true!"

"Leave Sasuke alone Naruto!"

"But I didn't do anything!"

**_*Whistle*_**

Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura were immediately silenced as they dutifully looked to their Academy-Sensei.

Iruka felt an eyebrow twitch at the look Kakashi was giving him. The Jounin didn't have to look so overly impressed... wait... was that eye looking him over? Again?!

"Naruto requested I stop by some time to see how you guys were doing," Iruka explained. "I also wanted to meet your Jounin-Sensei and make sure you were all being properly looked after."

He certainly didn't need to explain that part given what he's gleaned of Kakashi already.

"I'll be happy to answer any of the questions from the Pretty-Sensei."

Was Kakashi flirting with him?!

No one warned him the famed Jounin would do this!

Cursing himself for it, Iruka blushed, again.

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"He did not!"

Iruka raised his brows in confusion. "He wouldn't stop touching it!" he hurriedly repeated.

Genma paused at the entrance and gave Iruka a positively filthy leer. "I sure picked the right time to show up, didn't I?"

"It's not what you think!" Iruka loudly denied, using his hands to gesture, sloshing his drink about. "My hair! He was touching my hair!"

Genma cocked his head at him as he sat down. "Who was touching your hair and why?"

"Hatake-san," Kotetsu supplied with a grin.

"Kakashi?"

"Is there any other?" Izumo drawled.

"Why was Kakashi touching your hair?" Genma asked with a laugh.

Iruka slapped a hand to his face. "My hair-tie!"

"Your hair-tie?"

"It snapped!" Iruka said, complete with such a forlorn and puppy-eyed look that it made both Kotetsu and Izumo coo at him.

Though, it was Anko who slid her arms around Iruka's shoulders from behind. "Show him Ruka!"

"Okay!" Iruka dutifully obliged, taking his hair-tie off in a single sweep of his fingers.

Anko purred in contentment as she weaved her hands through his scalp."So soft."

"Woah."

Kotetsu grinned cockily at Genma's remark. "Yeah, our Ruru is a beauty."

"Hey, why you being so quiet Raidou?" Izumo addressed.

Raidou smiled minutely. "Just trying to figure out if Kakashi-san is weird like Anko or if he too thought Iruka is a beauty."

Iruka groaned. "He called me Pretty-Sensei."

A collective _'ooohh'_ sounded.

"Shut up!"

They laughed.

"We should call him that from now on," Anko insisted. "Our Pretty-Sensei."

Iruka pushed her away. "I'm not pretty."

"Pretty-Sensei! Pretty-Sensei!"

Iruka roared as he launched himself at Kotetsu and Izumo, knocking them back.

It wasn't too long afterwards they were all kicked out.

Also, the new nickname stuck.

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They were gone.

They were all gone!

What?!

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Iruka was blushing as he left the school building. All day long people had been commenting on his hair, students and staff members alike.

Moegi and Konohamaru had been the worst of them. They first asked if he was trying to look nice for a girlfriend. He'd said no. They followed it up by asking if he was trying to look nice for a boyfriend.

Iruka's stammer of a refusal never sounded so bad.

And no one seemed to believe his hair-ties had all gone missing. Everyone assumed he was out to impress someone, which generated a lot of interest given Iruka's lack of a love life.

He shook his head as he walked home. He'd overheard some of the staff members talking about making a betting pool as to who his secret crush was. Most would lose considering the names they'd been throwing about were of the wrong gender of preference for himself for starters.

Not that any of it really mattered to him, one way or another. At least, so long as it didn't interrupt his classes.

Now if only he could get his friends to stop teasing him about Kakashi Hatake. They kept insisting the Jounin must have found him attractive.

***Snort***

Yeah, right.

Though, he supposed they meant no harm. It's not like he was really going to be seeing Kakashi again.

"Ah, my Pretty-Sensei."

Iruka stopped short. "Kakashi?" he questioned incredulously.

The tall Jounin grinned as he walked over to him. "What brings you here Iruka?"

The Academy teacher looked around. This was the same park he always cut through on the way home from the Academy. "I'm on my way home."

"Mmm."

Iruka swallowed. What the heck was Kakashi doing here so randomly? "What brings you here?"

"Oh, I got lost on the road to life."

_What?_

"I see," Iruka berated himself for feeling nervous. There was nothing to be nervous about! "Well, I was going to get started on dinner... you could join me, if you like. Though you'd have to give me an idea of how much you eat. Naruto's my most common visitor and his idea of a portion size differs from pretty much everyone."

Oh wow. He was rambling.

"That sounds nice," Kakashi smiled, or at least he did the eye-smile thing again.

Iruka nodded, heart running a mile a minute.

What had he just done?

He tried to keep conversation light by bringing up Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura.

Kakashi happily informed him they'd spent the entire day on a D-rank Mission- finding and returning the famously elusive cat.

Yet, it seems Iruka is unable to keep from scolding a person who deserved it- no matter who they were and how many thousands of ways they could kill him.

"What do you mean you left them alone!" he questioned as he opened the door to his humble abode and let Kakashi in first, the latter whom hid his amusement at the Chunnin's uncommon manners somehow going hand-in-hand with his scolding words. Iruka locked up behind them. "You're supposed to be their Jounin-Sensei! It's your job to supervise them."

"They've completed this mission many times before."

"That's no excuse!" Iruka fired back as he gestured for Kakashi to take either the sofa or the bar stool (he chose the latter). "Even simple Missions can go wrong. What if they hurt someone or hurt themselves? I know they're your first Genin team but you can't do that." Iruka looked to him as he entered the kitchen. "Something to drink?"

Kakashi was openly amused now. "Nothing for me thanks."

Iruka nodded. "It's a bit chilly out. I was planning on making soup, unless you have some other preference?"

Kakashi shrugged.

Iruka gave him a flat look.

***Eye smile* **

"I don't really cook so anything you make will be good. Unless," the Jounin pinned him with what he was sure was a disarming glance. "Do you happen to be a terrible cook?"

Iruka grinned. "Never really had complaints. Any thing you'd like in your soup?"

Silence.

The Chunnin paused in his ministrations. "Kakashi?" He turned around only to find said ninja gazing at him thoughtfully, chin resting atop his hands, head cocked to the side.

"Do you... happen to have... eggplant?"

Iruka opened the fridge and bent down to check. "Yup," he complied with a smile, pulling out the purple veggie.

Kakashi blinked, and blinked at him again before he practically preened with happiness.

Iruka shook his head as he started taking out everything else he needed. "I still want to know what else was so important you left three new Genin all alone."

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It became a thing.

Every few days they would meet. Iruka would cook and Kakashi slowly picked up commentary. They never touched personal subjects but they learned each other's likes and dislikes, hopes and dreams (Kakashi had literally phrased his question as such).

Yet, it was still such a new thing that Iruka always felt a little bewildered to open the door and find the infamous Jounin waiting on his doorstep.

His hair-ties were still missing too.

Or- he should say they were going missing.

He'd bought replacements and those disappeared. He'd bought some more and stashed them around his home and at work. Those disappeared too. He could buy a pack a day and wear the one- but that would be ridiculously wasteful.

Keeping his hair down wouldn't have mattered so much if it wasn't for his friends still making fun of him, saying he'd only started wearing it as such because he was interested in Kakashi.

It wasn't that he wasn't _interested_ in Kakashi. He'd been nervous and wary upon meeting and getting to know the infamous Copy Ninja. That soon passed from a growing curiosity into the beginnings of a mild infatuation to a full-blown crush.

He hadn't meant for it to devolve into such, given how little time had passed but Kakashi was very easy to like. Strange and annoyingly aloof at times, but still likeable.

They shared a great interest in literature, the Make-Out Paradise series being the one exception. Iruka didn't care that Kakashi liked the vulgar novels, he simply found it wrong that the man not only read them in public, but around children. Kakashi's counter that he only read them around children that were ninja did not go down well, at all. Iruka, at least, didn't blow his top until Kakashi phrased it as, "If they can kill they can handle knowing about making sweet love."

The Chunnin began spending his lunches with Team 7 from then on (questioning the Genin voraciously on any of their Jounin-Sensei's misconduct- though it mostly consisted of Naruto proclaiming that Kakashi-Sensei refused to teach him any High-Level Jutsu or that _'the Sasuke-bastard'_ got all of the attention).

He'd felt a little guilty at first for not making enough time to visit his other past-students. He couldn't help but to admit (to himself) it was mainly because of Kakashi and the brotherly bond he was building with Naruto.

Naruto was always quick to rattle off everything they've been doing, Sakura often steering the conversation back on track when the blonde began boasting. Whenever the two began to bicker and focus on themselves, Iruka would use that time to quietly inquire to Sasuke about himself. The Uchiha largely kept to a clipped speech pattern at first but slowly warmed up to Iruka's genuine interest, listening raptly whenever the Chunnin made creative suggestions to improve his training methods.

And of course, there was Kakashi, who seemed to love making _'unintentional'_ innuendos (which always flew over Naruto's head but not over poor Sasuke or Sakura's) whenever Iruka had lunch with them.

Despite the teasing and the missing hair-ties, Iruka liked his new routine. Kakashi certainly appeared to be fine with it and the Chunnin didn't want to lose his presence in his life.

Though, he should have realized becoming close to a renowned ninja had its setbacks.

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"He's late!"

"Obviously Naruto," Sakura snapped with a heavy roll of her eyes.

The blonde Genin shook his head. "But he's never late!"

"It'd be impossible to be on time all the time."

"_But he's never late_," Naruto stressed.

Sasuke gave his two cents before their female teammate could retort, "It's very unlike him."

"Do you really think so, Sasuke?" Sakura immediately grabbed up.

"Oi!"

"Quiet Naruto!"

"My, my. You're all so worked up over the Pretty-Sensei."

"He's the best!" Naruto proudly declared.

Kakashi tsked from his spot, casually leaning up against a tree. "Maa Naruto, you hurt my feelings."

"You're just a perv."

Sakura couldn't quite hold back a chuckle at that one. Naruto failed not to look too pleased for that. Sasuke, too, had a twitch of lips.

"Kakashi!"

They all turned towards the new arrival.

_'Isn't that Ino's Sensei?'_ Sakura questioned to herself. Her inner-self was whooping. _'Cha! I bet he got tired of trying to teach Ino-pig!'_

"Asuma," Kakashi acknowledged verbally although his eyes was glued to his book, body unmoving.

"I've heard you know Iruka Umino."

"Chunnin-Sensei, beautiful hair, distinguishing scar across his nose, easy smile, pulls weight at the Mission Desk, really friendly, really nice, and also very pretty."

"He hasn't showed for his shifts at the Mission Desk or the Academy since the previous day. He's missing."

Kakashi immediately sobered up- and by that it means he closed his book and gave his fellow Jounin a hard, one-eyed stare.

"Iruka-Sensei is missing?"

Naruto's solemn use of tone drove several raised brows his way. But the blonde only stared at Asuma, waiting for an answer.

The brunette Jounin clearly had an expression on his face that spelled out _'crap.'_

**Poof. **

Two Shadow Clones of Kakashi's appeared.

The real Copy Ninja reached out to place a hand on Asuma's shoulder. "Let's have a talk shall we."

They poofed away to the sound of Naruto yelling after them.

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"Stop touching him!"

"You hear that, you've got to stop touching me."

***wink***

"I meant you!"

"Me?" he inquired, breathlessly. "But I'm not doing a thing!"

"Yes you are you little-"

"You know, you're kinda pretty when you're angry."

...

And that's how Iruka Umino ended up tied down to a post. Although, he didn't seem to care all that much about it.

"I can't wait till the boss gets rid of him," the female Kunoichi snapped, glaring down at their captive although a tell-all flush colored her cheeks.

Her male counterpart chuckled. "Probably shouldn't have gotten him drunk. He's a real friendly drunk."

"Real handsy you mean," her dark eyes glittered towards her partner now. "Not that you seemed to mind."

"I'm bored now!" Iruka proclaimed, looking up at his captors through a hazy gaze. "Is this some sort of game?"

The female scowled. "Sure, it's a game."

"It's not very fun."

"Why don't you just shut your mouth already!"

"Easy now," a new voice soothed.

Iruka took in the newcomer. A man, probably only a few years older than him. Also very handsome... and familiar... why was he familiar?

"You're dismissed now," the familiar man addressed. He waited until he and Iruka were alone before giving the Chunnin a long, appraising look.

"You're a bit... plain."

"I am?" Iruka asked, dumbfounded but gleeful.

"Yes," he stated as he removed the scarf that covered his mouth and jaw to reveal a good-looking face.

_Oh. _

Iruka recognized him now.

It was an infamous ninja.

An infamous _rogue_ ninja- with apparent connections in Konoha.

"You look good."

The rogue smirked. "I know I do."

"Did you know I found a hair-tie," Iruka tipped his head over to waggle his short ponytail. He was grinning when he looked back up. "I had forgotten one- where I hid it- but I found it- by accident!"

The rogue smiled placatingly. "Well, Kakashi certainly didn't pick you because you're clever." His smile turned wicked. "Maybe you're just easy."

"Easy?"

"A definite whore," the rogue's eyes flashed maliciously before he struck, nailing the tied-up Iruka with a slug to the face.

The drunken Chunnin yelped quite loudly, head spinning, and face burning from the blow. "Why you do that?"

Iruka yelped again when his head was jerked upwards by his ponytail, neck stretching uncomfortably because of his tied-up position.

"Kakashi is mine. MINE!"

"Okay, okay. He's yours!"

Iruka's air left him when a fist buried itself into his stomach.

The man before him stood to his full height, looking down upon him as he struggled not to vomit.

"How? I just don't get it," the rogue viciously proclaimed. "You're an Academy-Sensei. There's nothing special about you. You're not even handsome. Why would Kakashi Hatake choose you?!"

"I don't- I don't know what you mean-"

"Don't lie to me!" Another blow to the head, though this time it was close enough to the Chunnin's eye that it would surely bruise. "I've kept an eye on Kakashi for a long time. I have plans for him and I don't want anyone to get in the way of that!"

"Oh, I get it."

The rogue lost some of his rage. "What?"

Iruka's smile was bloody. "You're jealous!"

The rogue snarled and moved to attack again only to be knocked back by a head-butt to the jaw.

Iruka had taken longer than planned to free himself using the throwing star he'd nicked off of his original male captor.

Unfortunately, he was up against a Jounin rogue and he wasn't faking being drunk. In short, he hadn't planned out anything after this point.

"I'll fucking kill you, you piece of sh-nngh!"

The Chunnin blinked as the rogue's eyes rolled to the back of his head and promptly passed out. It was only when his vision was no longer obstructed by the looming rogue did he realize he had new company.

"Ah," Iruka brilliantly said.

" _'Ah'_ he says," Asuma growled.

Kakashi ignored him in favor of tending to Iruka.

"Kashi!" the Chunnin exclaimed happily, the blood on his teeth marring his welcoming smile.

"Tch, Kashi."

Again, the Copy Ninja ignored the Asuma.

"Iruka? How do you feel?"

The Chunnin leaned into the warmth Kakashi offered when the Jounin slung an arm around his waist. "He hit my face."

"Yeah," the edge Kakashi's voice gained had Asuma throwing him a look. "He did."

"My head feels floaty," Iruka chuckled at his own observation.

Kakashi couldn't help but to smile a little at that. "They did get you drunk."

Iruka nodded sagely. "Yeah, they did."

"Well, we might as well get you looked at."

"Wait! Kashi-Kakashi, wait!" Iruka cried just before the Jounin could poof them away.

"Anbu picked up the other two," Asuma announced. "I'll take this one in." He slung the unconscious rogue over his back.

Though Kakashi was still focused on Iruka he lifted his hand in acknowledgement and the other Jounin poofed away.

"What is it Iruka?"

"I like you," the Chunnin bluntly stated, surprisingly firm.

"Like me?"

"A lot," Iruka nodded and grinned into Kakashi's shoulder. He pulled back and looked at Kakashi directly, cheeks flushed and eyes only slightly glossed over. "You're weird but al-also just wow."

"Wow," Kakashi repeated in clear amusement. he leaned in to whisper into the Chunnin's ear. "You know, I think you're pretty _'wow' _yourself."

"Really?!"

Iruka's right eye was beginning to purple, the left side of his jaw was colored a stinging red, and he was clad only in his black pants and long-sleeve- both torn and dirty. His ponytail was askew with a few loose strands hanging over his face.

And yet, his sheer joyous shock and subsequent _pink_ smile at Kakashi's reciprocating feelings was more than enough to seal the deal for the silver-haired Jounin.

"Yeah, I really like you too, but," Kakashi slipped Iruka's hair-tie right off and snapped it between his fingers. "That's much better. No need to hide your beautiful curves."

It came to Iruka as his locks feel down. "You! You're the hair-tie stealer!"

Kakashi put on an innocent face ( or as much as anyone can appear innocent in a mask), "I have no idea what you're thinking about."

"Hair-tie stealer!"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

_(2 weeks later)_

"I did tell you," Iruka said coolly.

"No way!" Kotetsu argued. "Genma and Raidou?! Seriously?"

"Tonight is their first date," Kurenai informed them all, pausing to take a swig of her beer. "It's why they couldn't make it."

Izumo chuckled. "It seems like everyone is hooking up." He gestured to Iruka whom was ("Not by choice!" he later swore) wrapped up in Kakashi's iron embrace.

Asuma raised his glass to that. "Hear, hear."

"Don't know why any of you are complaining, the only ones single here are Gai and myself," Anko said.

"Maybe the two of you should go out," Iruka loudly snickered.

"That would be scary," Kakashi contributed with a shiver.

"Hey," Kotetsu gestured with his beer. "Izumo and I aren't going out with anyone."

Anko snorted. "Yeah, except with each other."

"My friends! Do not be afraid to share such youthful passion with one another!" Gai advised. The spandex-clad man was quieter when drinking, but still just as joyful.

"We aren't together though," Izumo protested.

"But you should be," Anko reasoned. She downed her mug and slammed it down, gaining a leer once she glanced up. "Hey Gai, what are you doing tonight?"

Everyone winced, except for Iruka.

"Aww."

"No Ruka," Kakashi sunk his chin down onto the chocolate tresses. "No aww."

"I don't ever want to hear that phrase again," Kotetsu murmured.

Izumo clapped him on the back. "Hear, hear."

"Too late, I think," Kurenai pointed out.

Anko had dragged Gai to the corner where they were speaking quite enthusiastically.

***Another collective wince***

"That," Asuma called as he pulled out his lighter. "Is scarring."

"Asuma," Kurenai chided.

"Heh," said Jounin mumbled. He looked up and balked at Iruka's openly lethal glaring (he'd obviously never dealt with the Teacher's Glare). "Geez, what kind of face is that?"

"No smoking allowed," Iruka sternly told him.

Kakashi eye-smiled and hugged Iruka closer to his chest. Iruka let out a content sigh and snuggled back.

Asuma turned to Kurenai for help but only received an amused glance in return.

Asuma shook his head in exasperation. "You should not be able to do that," he addressed to Iruka.

"Do what?"

"Go from downright scary to cute and cuddly. It should be illegal."

Iruka tipped his head up to look at Kakashi. "Am I illegal?"

Kakashi tilted his chin to kiss his lover's forehead through the mask. "He's simply jealous he doesn't have an awesome story about saving his love from a rogue ninja."

"Ugh," Asuma grumbled. "On love already?"

"Since last night probably," Izumo snickered. "Iruka was _glowing_ this morning."

Iruka aimed a coy smirk to them all. "You're all just jealous I've seen Kakashi's face."

"WHAT?!" Anko belted out, rushing to Iruka's side. "Tell me!"

The Chunnin-Sensei's beer-induced flush morphed into a full-on blush. "He's so dreamy."

Kakashi grinned (kind of). "Aww, my Pretty-Sensei."

"It's not fair!" Anko wailed in the background. "I want to see his face!"

"You're still a hair-tie stealer," Iruka reminded.

Kakashi lifted his hands to run them through Iruka's hair. "Maa, but it looks so good when its down."

Iruka smacked his hands away, then kissed them when Kakashi pouted.

It was one of those nights.


End file.
